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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · calf · pitcher · track · plane · snap · bass · safe

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. snap — to click
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. track — a song
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — a path
  22. bass — the fish
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com